LOVED

After Skyping For 8 Years, Two Girls With A Special Bond Finally Meet

November 8, 2013

There are lots of reasons why this new Skype ad from Pereira & O’Dell shouldn’t work. It’s more than three minutes long. It’s manipulative in the extreme. And its emotional high point has little to do with the service being advertised – in fact, it hints at everything Skype can’t provide. Yet, in the end, it’s irresistible. This is all because of the story, which is flat-out incredible and clearly real and heartfelt. The spot – the fourth in Skype’s family-portrait series – tells the tale of Sarah from Nappanee, Ind., and Paige from Auckland, New Zealand. The girls share a unique bond – each was born without a full left arm. They initially corresponded thanks to their mothers. Sarah’s mom had gone looking for someone who was dealing with the same issue. Eight years ago, Sarah and Paige began to Skype. They grew close – so close that they became best friends. But they had never met… until now. After telling their story, the spot then shows them meeting for the first time. It’s extremely touching – so much so that you almost forget that Skype’s whole value proposition is based around not meeting up in person like this. You focus instead on the bond the girls did build, remotely, over time- for which Skype can take a lot of credit.